


How beautiful it is to exist

by TubbyTomatooO



Series: Alpha/beta/omega Onechicago AU [1]
Category: Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: Alpha Ethan Choi, Alpha Joe Cruz, Alpha Matthew Casey, Alpha Will Halstead, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Hurt Kelly Severide, M/M, Omega Connor Rhodes, Omega Kelly Severide, Omega Otis, Scandal, cheating Will Halstead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-12 15:52:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19232269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TubbyTomatooO/pseuds/TubbyTomatooO
Summary: An orphanage fire after an already gruelling shift takes an unexpected turn when one of their own is left fighting for his life.Matt doesn’t know what he’d do if his sweet Omega was ripped away from him...





	How beautiful it is to exist

**Author's Note:**

> Hey hopefully this is the first in a series. I’m hoping to expand this Alpha/Beta/Omega universe to the whole of One Chicago. I really hope you all like it- I took a while pondering wether to post or not. Any questions or requests for future fics drop them in the comments or on my insta @/Tubbytomatooo :3 happy reading! X

~  
" NO NO NO ! YOU LISTEN TO ME MATTHEW CASEY, HE IS IN AGONY AND YOUVE GOT TO STOW YOUR CRAP AND LET HIM GO!" Ethan Choi yelled squaring up to the burly alpha and firefighter in front of him. The doctor never had been one for bedside manner which was why Halstead usually talked to patients and families.

Typical.

He had seen it before, an alpha unwilling to let go of their counterparts causing them to suffer for days. All for what? A sense of loyalty? Love? Ethan could never understand how that alone could get people to hold out through such suffering until their body's caved. 

To him love was overrated, at least the concept of it was, he didn't know if what he and Will had could be called love more as a way to blow off steam. However he couldn't imagine Connor would see it that way. 

" you need to let him know that it's okay" he said softly to Casey, changing his strategy. Two alphas butting heads never ended well and he knew it from firsthand experience, too much blood had been spilled today.

Matt was trembling where he stood. Struggling to comprehend how selfish he was being, he could see it now. He needed to be the alpha the Kelly always needed but never got until now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was never supposed to end this way- never supposed to go so wrong. 

The end of a gruelling shift had left them all bone weary and sleepy eyed but, as usual, their sleep deprived bodies all climbed into the fire truck when there was a call for a fire on 5th Avenue. 

Matt sighed and he looked over at Kelly in the squad 3 truck grinning to himself and shaking his head at the smug expression Kelly was wearing. He always knew how to get it and when, especially during a night shift- smug bastard.

Herman's gasp and the hush that fell on the truck, told Matt all he needed to know about the fire at hand . He turned his head and winced at the flames now engulfing the orphanage. Matt cleared his throat "is this our arsonist?" He asked parking the truck and hopping out of the truck.

Mouch jumped out after him " looks like it. A woman saw a Caucasian Male with a black hoodie fleeing the scene just before the fire broke out." 

Matt nodded. " alright everybody let's get to work!" He switched on his radio " Squad 3 you focus on rescue of those inside and we'll tackle these flames." He ordered and glanced to the chief for his approval.

Boden nodded and Matt grabbed a hose quickly, hearing the building groan. " Hurry up lads or we're going to be pulling dead kids out of rubble instead of live ones out of a fire." He called and got Herman to switch on the water supply. He saw Squad 3 gear up out of the corner of his vision and he bit his lip watching his mate charge into the fire without a moments hesitation. Just when he thought he couldn't love the omega any more he did.

Kelly had partnered up with Cruz while he sent Kidd out with Mills. " you search the right side I'll check the left!" He called to Cruz over the roaring of the flames and he saw him nod through the thick smoke.  

Kelly methodically made his way through the bedrooms on the top floor, calling out to any children who may have still been trapped or hiding.

"Fire department call out!"

He was almost through with his search when he heard two small cries from the end room. Kelly stopped and he turned,  
"hello is anyone in there?!" He called out and distinctly heard two small voices over all the noise. Following te sounds he stopped outside the last door in the hallway.

He kicked down the door and he made his way into the furnace of a room, flames licking up the walls already. Eyes searching the room, they finally rested on 3 young girls, only 7 at most, huddled in a pile in the corner of the room by the window.

"Hey it's okay! Come with me I'll get you out promise!"  
Kelly called to them and saw one of the girls had passed out. When they made no indication of moving, he scooped up the unconscious girl and headed into the hallway with the other two in tow, not giving them much of a choice on the matter.

There was a sudden groan and a crash and the whole building seemed to shake for a second.  
Screaming quickly followed over the radio, mostly from Matt.

" Severide get out now!" 

" the stairs just collapsed where the hell are you?!"

" Severide !"

"Kelly!" 

Kelly felt a shiver run thought him. Matt never used his first name which meant he was scared and a scared Matt Casey made bad decisions. Kelly knew that all too well. He looked around and then to the window their only hope of escape. He shifted the girl to one arm and he ushered the girls foreward. Switching on his radio he pulled off his mask, oxygen nearly out.

"Matt! I've got three girls up here! One's unconscious !" He called pushing the window open. Kelly looked down, stomach plummeting, he never had been very good with heights.

" we're on the 4th floor, coming out of the window!" He yelled not even knowing if his radio was working as clumps of flaming celling started to fall from above them. Kelly coughed and he took out his reel of rope tying it around both the girls at the same time and tying the other end to himself so he could lower them slowly.

" I'm gonna lower you out ! Don't be frightened! My friends are gonna be right at the bottom to catch you!" He tried to reassure them and he set down the unconscious girl and he slowly started to ease them down the edge of the building, struggling to not lose his grip and go tumbling out of the window with them.

Matt froze up when he heard Kelly over the radio and he swallowed thickly, pure terror flooding his veins. He couldn't tell if it was his own he was feeling or Kelly's which just scared him more.  
" Kelly! We're gonna get you, just stay where you are!" He yelled, snapping out of his daze and frowned running around the edge of the building to see them at the window and the girls being lowered down, adrenaline filling him from toe to tip.

" Otis. Ladder. Now!" He yelled and waited for the ladder to get into position before practically running up it and stopping, it was too short for him to grab the girls  
" girls just let go I'll catch you." He tried to please as with them to be brave as he saw Kelly's grip slipping slowly.

Matt was convinced that Kelly's radio wasn't working properly because he wasn't responding to what they were saying to him. Suddenly there was a crack and Kelly was trying not to be pulled out of the window whilst holding a little girl in his arms, the floor was breaking underneath him. Matt hissed under his breath and reached out his arms — ready.

Before Matt even had the time to formulate a plan on how to get them all down safely, Kelly had cut the rope attaching him to the girls at the exact moment that the building groaned and caved in on itself, taking his omega, his love of his life with it. 

Running on autopilot Matt caught the girls and got them back onto solid ground. As soon as they were taken care of Matt went to charge into the remains of the building. He felt strong arms grab him and pull him back.   
Boden. 

Rage bubbled up inside him. How. Dare. He. How dare he try to keep him from getting to the love of his life— his mate. His omega. He could feel his pain, Twisting in his chest, Matt felt like he was being crushed. He almost cried— almost.

Growling Matt twisted and writhed trying to get away.   
" let me go ! LET ME GO! That's my- that's Kelly he's in there I've got to get him!"   
No longer was he Matthew Casey captain of truck 81, He was Matt Casey, alpha and husband to Kelly Severide. 

Matt didn't remember much of what happened next only that he punched Boden in the face and had to be restrained. His eyes never left the entrance to that orphanage praying for Kelly to come waltzing out like nothing, his little soldier. The pain was still there, smothering him and Matt knew this time that it wasn't his own.  
But pain was good, it meant he was alive. He knew it would be a different empty sort of pain if he was dead.

The shock that Matt felt when Kelly appeared at the entrance holding a limp little girl, scratched up and beaten but alive— both of them. The relief was like nothing Matt had ever felt before, not even when Kelly had said yes to marrying him. As soon as Kelly had passed the girl over to Dawson, Matt was up on his feet and running over to him, sweet sweet love pounding through his soul. It was really him, he was really here.

“Kelly..” 

Despite knowing that they both preferred to keep it profesional at work, Matt thought now could be an acception. He wrapped his arms around Kelly tightly and whimpered quietly pressing his face against his hair and getting lost in his sweet scent of apple syrup — tainted only slightly by the bitter smell of smoke and charcoal.

"Baby..." he whispered the term of endearment hoarsely, drowning in the love he was feeling for him right now. He kissed the side of his head first, then his cheeks, then his forehead, reassuring himself that he was here... he was safe.

" don't ever do that to me again.." Matt scolded softly without any bite, eyes watering as he had both hands on Kelly's cheeks. Kelly purred softly and he leaned his cheek into his hand; though he appeared calm, Matt knew he wasn't, he could feel him shaking in his arms. 

Kelly shook his head and he looked at Matt with those big blue eyes of his,   
" I didn't think I'd see you again..." he choked out, cringing at the thought of being buried under that rubble without having said his goodbyes to the one thing he cared about most in this world.

Matt kissed him gently, thumb brushing comfortingly over his cheek,  
"it's okay, I'm here." He whispered grinning a little bit and looking Kelly up and down— eyes critical.

" you okay? Are you hurt?”

"That's just what I was about to ask." the gruff voice of the Chief growled from behind Matt. Red flushed over his face and he stuttered for a response or an apology before Kelly stepped forward in front of Matt, always the calm one. 

Matt watched his mate carefully, noticing the way that he held his arm against his chest and the way his breathing was off, too shallow and raspy to be normal - or 'fine' as The omega kept insisting he was.

The chief didn't look convinced and neither was Matt, he just had half a building fall on top of him. Matt shook his head,  
"The hell your fine— woah woah! easy baby easy..." Matt's argumentative tone died on his lips as Kelly toppled backwards into Matts arms, face scrunched up in obvious pain. 

Panic sirens screamed in his head as blood dripped from Kelly's mouth as he tried to breathe through whatever was stopping him. That’s when the fear sat down to stay for both of them. When panic took hold of Kelly it wasn't pretty, Matt had to keep a tight hold of his arms as he held his suffocating lover to his chest lest he hurt himself anymore by writhing and kicking out.

All the while Kelly struggled, Matt was purring softly to him, trying to comfort him in the slightest of ways, wanting to ease his suffering if only a little bit. He pressed his face against his hair whispering softly to him, trembling as well.

" it's okay sweetheart, they're gonna patch you up real good then we can go home, it's okay- your gonna be okay. Just hold on, for god sakes Kelly— hold on." His voice broke as Kelly whimpered weakly when he was intubated, Dawson and Brett had quickly dropped everything and rushed over when they saw the commotion. 

" I'm here sweetheart, I'm here .." he whispered in response to his lover’s broken keen’s, kissing his hairline gently. Matt exchanged a look with Brett and he nodded. There was no way they could get Kelly onto a stretcher and sedated in the state he was in, the man was a force to be reckoned with when he needed to be. With Kelly in pain and panicked, the alpha knew that now was one of those times— they needed to be careful.

Matt made sure Brett was with him and he stood up; Kelly, tightly but carefully, cradled in his arms as he walked to the ambulance where Dawson was waiting, all set up.

Brett was matching him step for step, continuing to bag Kelly, whilst Matt was trying to ignore the horrified faces of firehouse 51. He swallowed thickly and climbed up into the truck, gently laying Kelly down on the stretcher in the ambo, feeling the frightened eyes of his team and friends burning a hole in his back.

It hurt Matt how quickly the fight had drained from Kelly, who had always been so stubborn. He tried to stay out of Dawson's way as She tried to get an IV line into him whilst Matt took over from Brett as she drove to the hospital, switching on the sirens and everything. 

The ride to the hospital was most likely the most traumatic thing Matt would ever have to face in his lifetime. Kelly had flatlined twice and was completely unresponsive by the time they wheeled him into Med, Matt close behind. 

Still reeling with the shock of it all, Matt didn't even get a second to say goodbye before his whole world was whisked away to surgery, taking Matt's heart and hope with him. The whole world seemed to pass in a blur for the next hour or so. At some point he registered the whole house filling up the waiting room but all Matt was focused on was the 4 hours without any word. 

He was broken from his downward spiral of images he didn't want to see and things he didn't want to think by Herman clapping his back gently .  
" well you know what they say no news is good news right?" He said having attempted to lighten the mood but failed miserably.

After a further 3 hours, Dr.Halstead and Dr.Choi came into the waiting room grim faced. As if on que all of the boys suddenly stood up wanting news on Kelly but knowing to keep their pie-holes shut.

Matt assumed that Dr.halstead was only there for emotional support since it was Dr.Choi who looked him dead in the eye and told him that he should take a seat.

Numbly Matt took his advice and sat down as The alpha spoke loud enough for everyone to hear but looked at matt like he was addressing him directly.

" Severide suffered a lot of unseen damage from the building collapse." He started— eyes sympathetic. Matt didn’t need sympathetic he needed hope dammit. 

" his whole chest was crushed completely and both of his lungs had either partially or fully collapsed. We operated to try and repair his lungs but we almost lost him several times so we stopped the bleeding and bought him a few hours at the most." Matt felt his body numbing with shock as Dr.Choi continued.

"If he can gain some of his strength then we can try again and do another op in the morning but right now it's a waiting game to see wether he survives the night. I'm sorry to inform you that I'm not optimistic." Matt started at the ground blankly, chest feeling hollow but defiance burning in his heart. He didn’t know Kelly like he did. He wasn’t a quitter, he wasn’t weak. 

Not his Kelly, not his baby. 

He was a fighter.

A strong arm wrapped itself around Matt, grounding him.  
" can we see him?"  
Dr.Halstead was the one who replied,  
"Yes but only two at a time." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Matt spared a quick glance towards all of firehouse 51 sat in little huddled in the waiting room. They had already said their goodbyes to their lieutenant, now out of respect they waited with Matt for the end, hoping their presence as a pack and a family would ease his pain. 

Matt bit his lip and looked through the door to where Cruz and Otis were sitting by Kelly, his ever loyal friends. Otis was running his hands through the Omega's hair gently whilst Cruz was talking softly to him, even getting Severide to crack a pained smile every now and then. 

Sucking in a breath he looked to Dr.Choi and he nodded   
" your right I know your right but... I don't know how .." 

There was a comforting hand on his shoulder and he swallowed thickly, eyes glued to the floor.

" just tell him the truth, that's all he needs from you" The other alpha rumbled comfortingly.

Matt cleared his throat and he knocked on the door stepping in slowly.  
" guys can you... I need to." He cleared his throat face growing hot.

Cruz and Otis exchanged a look knowingly and they nodded in unison, Otis shimmying through the door way quickly before he could start crying, knowing what was coming next. He never had been very good other keeping his emotions in check especially when it came to omegas in his squad. 

Cruz was more calmer than his mate and more steady headed. He pressed his forehead against Severide's head gently closing his eyes briefly and sighing softly,

" love you brother." He murmured to him quietly and straightened up squeezing Kelly's hand gently before he headed to the waiting room to console his sobbing omega.

Cruz patted Matt's shoulder and he nodded   
"he's in pain...let him go."   
He said softly and he stepped outside leaving Matt and Kelly alone together. In all matt's years as a firefighter and the even longer years that he had known Kelly he never thought that it would end this way, in this fire.

Sitting down in the chair beside Kelly's bedside, he picked up his lover's cold hand and pressed a soft kiss to his knuckles. 

"Hey sweetheart, it's okay they're gone now." 

Matt said softly and cupped his love's face gently brushing his thumb against his cheek. He could see Kelly's walls crumbling quickly, how he was truly feeling coming to his face to be read as easily as an open book. 

" Matt" Kelly whispered barely there,

"Yes,Kel's ?" 

" I’m not going anywhere you fucking sap." 

Ocean blue eyes dull and glazed, yet still staring right into hiss very soul, like they always had been able to.

Matt wanted to cry and laugh right then and there, of course, his strong omega, always ready to plow right through whatever was thrown at him. He brushed away stray tears from Kelly's cheeks gently.

" I know your not kel's - I know," 

Kelly's breath hitched and he clenched his jaw, a vulnerable whimper escaping from between his lips. Despite his facade of being fine, Matt could see right through him, he always could. His face contorted from pain to fear as he choked on air, not able to pull enough in to breathe properly.

"It's okay baby, it's okay, just relax ...relax ... please" 

Matt sniffed and wiped his eyes with his sleeve gripping Kelly's hand tightly with both of his. He rested his chin on the top of Kelly's head gently trying to ease his mate's fear though he was shaking himself.

" rest now ...." he took a shaky breath and gave the love of his life a teary eyed smile, feeling his heart break inside of him. Matt closed his eyes briefly and didn't hold back a quiet sob. 

"You can let go..." he chokes out, smile dissolving as he lets his emotions take over. " I... " his voice cracked as he held his dying lover close to him,  
" I love you Kelly... if you need to let go then thats ok...”   
Matt pressed his face against Kelly's hair, smelling his strawberry shampoo.

" Matt.."

" yes darling ?"

" I’ll be here tmrrow.. an Day after ... an Day after that." He mumbled slurring his words as the pain meds kicked in.

“Not goin’ nowhere darlin... promise’” Matt could help but laugh through his tears. Of course. How could he ever doubt Kellys strength and tenacity? And stubbornness, Matt snorted. It was these qualities that made Matt fall in love with him.

Matt watched Kelly sleep and couldn’t help feel a renewed sense of hope that everything would be okay. When Kelly Severide made a promise he stuck to it— no matter what.

" of course, I love you Kelly.." 

Matt started to shake as sobs wracked his body— the shock of everything getting to him eventually. He shook his head and he smiled through the salty rivers running down his face. Everything was going to be okay, he could see it now— that light at the end of the tunnel that Kelly was always talking about.

“ regardless sweetheart ... I’m gonna need you to keep the faith...” he sighed softly and wiped his eyes with his sleeve, giving Kelly’s hand a gently squeeze. 

Standing up, Matt stumbled outside giving the others a thumbs up and a tired grin. 

“He’s not going anywhere.” 

The sobre mood was instantly lifted and the younger lads jumped up and down excitedly. The older ones like Herman and mouch just collapsed into chairs exhausted but relived.

Thus was the effect of Kelly Severide.

As Matt watched everyone chatt happily and exchange words of relief Matt allowed himself to slink back into Kellys room and wait for him to wake.

Yeah, everything was going to be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow if you got this far I’m impressed :) thank you so much? Like I said Requests are 100% welcome ( if anything I need them.) I’m writing a Jay/Ruzek fic if y’all r interested *wink wink* anyway toodles for now y’all. See all u Chihards later.   
> Insta: @/Tubbytomatooo


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